Chapter 72: The Game

An Tong gazed quietly at Rong Shen and shook her head. "No," she replied.

She didn't feel unwell, and yet her heart was in utter disarray. The sensation intensified whenever she met the man's deep eyes, which brimmed with concern.

Rong Shen sat down with unhurried grace, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. His perceptive gaze never left An Tong. "If you feel unwell, you must say so. Remember, never push yourself too hard, all right?" His voice rose gently at the end, more like a reminder or a soft indulgence than his usual lectures.

An Tong wondered if she really was quite ill, because Dr. Rong's words did nothing to calm her racing heart; if anything, her reaction grew stronger.

She nodded and murmured assent.

That breakfast was utterly tasteless to her; An Tong had no idea what was wrong with her. Whenever she saw Dr. Rong, anxiety would overtake her. These feelings were so foreign that she felt completely at a loss.

...

A little past eight-thirty, Rong Shen finally left for the company.

Inside the car, Cheng Feng turned the wheel with one hand, commenting, "Ninth Master, Ling Qi said she'll arrive this afternoon."

Rong Shen turned his head slightly to look out the window, and responded in a low voice, "Get her a car. From now on, she's in charge of An Tong's transportation."

"All right, where will she stay?" Cheng Feng was quick to suggest, "Why not let her stay at the Houlake Villa too? That way she can look after the young—madam—at any time."

There was a brief silence in the car. Rong Shen pressed his thin lips together, his tone low and unreadable. "No need. Vacate a room in your yard for her."

Cheng Feng fell silent.

Is the Ninth Master deliberately trying to make my life difficult? Ling Qi is like a hyperactive child—if she moves into my place, won't she turn the whole place upside down?

With this thought, Cheng Feng tried to reason with him, "Ninth Master, this isn't—"

"Have Yuan Kai come over again this afternoon," Rong Shen interjected, cutting him off.

Glancing in the rearview mirror at the man's calm and handsome profile, Cheng Feng could only close his mouth awkwardly.

The Ninth Master didn't seem to be in a good mood today. Best not to push his luck.

...

On the other side, only after confirming Rong Shen had left did An Tong slowly emerge from the bedroom.

She couldn't say exactly what was making her feel so out of sorts, but deep down she knew that Dr. Rong was at the root of it.

With a long sigh, An Tong drifted aimlessly through the villa, wandering without purpose. When she finally looked up, she found herself standing outside a room with its door ajar—Dr. Rong's bedroom.

Her brows twitched. How had she ended up here?

She turned, intending to leave as if fleeing, but her mind seemed to override her body, rooting her footsteps to the spot.

Standing three steps from the door, she couldn't help but steal a few glances inside. The black-and-white décor was understated and elegant, exuding a simple, luxurious style. Even the pure black bedding suited his mature and composed demeanor perfectly.

From where she stood, she couldn't see much of the interior. As if under a spell, she took a step closer—though not through the threshold—leaned in, and peered...

"An An—"

A sudden voice called from the vicinity of the stairs.

Startled, An Tong dashed away from Rong Shen's bedroom door like a guilty thief.

At the turn of the staircase, the voice grew louder and clearer.

It was Ruan Danling.

Just as An Tong was about to reply, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, followed by an enthusiastic bark: "Woof..."

Three seconds later, two An Ans—one girl, one puppy—stood before Ruan Danling.

Ruan Danling regarded the obedient puppy and nudged it gently with her toe. "Oh, this dog looks exactly like Saichi."

An Tong asked in confusion, "Auntie, who is Saichi?"

"Oh, that's Xiao Jiu's pet. A massive Tibetan Mastiff, and when it was young, it looked just like this." As she spoke, Ruan Danling gestured to her own waist to indicate its size. She'd seen Saichi a few times—a big, silly fluffball, intimidating only because of its bulk.

An Tong smiled, bending down to rub the little one's head. "It's not a Tibetan Mastiff. It's a stray I picked up."

She didn't mention the dog's name, worried it might make Ruan Danling uncomfortable.

Soon, the two of them entered the living room, where pastries and bird's nest soup awaited on the coffee table.

Ruan Danling took An Tong's wrist, hesitating for a moment before asking, "An An, about yesterday..."

"Auntie," An Tong cut her off with a gentle smile, "nothing happened yesterday. I probably just caught a chill and got a headache, but after I came back and slept, I was fine."

Seeing the sincerity on her face, Ruan Danling finally relaxed. Though Xiao Jiu had reassured her last night, she couldn't be at ease until she saw with her own eyes that An Tong was well.

She didn't pursue the topic further, instead giving An Tong's hand a pat. "I'm glad you're all right. Now, send me your bank account number, and I'll transfer some money to you."

An Tong was stunned.

"No refusing," Ruan Danling pointed at the servant by the door. "Otherwise, I'll have him fetch cash for you."

An Tong could only surrender; no matter what she said, Ruan Danling's attitude was unwavering. In the end, she had no choice but to provide her account number. In less than a minute, three hundred thousand yuan was deposited into her account.

"Auntie, that's too much," An Tong protested.

Ruan Danling smiled warmly. "It's not too much. The rest is for you to buy yourself some treats. Now, eat your bird's nest. Once you're done, let's go to the front yard—the clothes have arrived. Let's see if they fit."

...

Night had fallen, and the lakeside villa's living room was filled with laughter and joy.

Ling Qi arrived in Zhanzhou at three in the afternoon, barely pausing to unpack before rushing to make her presence known to An Tong.

After dinner, as Ling Qi brewed tea, she asked, "Madam, do you play games in your spare time?"

An Tong thought for a moment. "Not often, only occasionally."

"What do you play?" Ling Qi's round eyes shone with anticipation. "I play both PUBG and Honor of Kings. Want to team up?"

An Tong scratched her head, took out her phone, and brought up a game. "Recently, I only play this one."

Ling Qi glanced at the screen and chuckled awkwardly. "Ah... I don't think you can team up in that game, can you?"

Traveling Frog—a single-player life-simulation game. It had been all the rage a long time ago.

Ling Qi craned her neck to see. When the advertisement ended, several pop-up messages appeared on the screen:

—Qiqi is back.
—Qiqi sent a photo.

Qiqi... that must be her younger brother, An Qi.

Ling Qi pursed her lips, at a loss for words. Not wanting to stir up sad memories for An Tong, she pretended nothing was amiss and pulled out her own phone. "Madam, let me teach you how to play Honor of Kings. It's really fun—a national MOBA mobile game."

Ling Qi logged into the game, rattling on, "All you do is read or listen to music every day. Isn't that boring? Playing some competitive games is a great way to relax your mind and pass the time, don't you think?"

Not wanting to reject her kindness, An Tong scrolled through her phone and found the Honor of Kings icon. "I do know how to play. Just... haven't logged in for a long time."

"Really?" Ling Qi peered eagerly at her screen. "What rank are you?"

(End of this chapter)